Boy band Ateez carries a “thirst” for the new — a drive to surprise the world. “Lemon Drop,” the lead track of its upcoming 12th EP, “Golden Hour: Part. 3,” is a timely sip of a fizzy drink — to quench that thirst for both the octet and its devoted fans.

But the eight-member boy band, with less than a month to go before setting off on its highly anticipated world tour, also wanted to craft something that audiences could easily vibe to in the upcoming summer heat.

“We already had a summer song, ‘Wave’ [2019],” Yunho said at a news conference in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Thursday, ahead of the EP's 1 p.m. Friday release. “But with ’Lemon Drop,’ we wanted to show a bit more mature side of us, different from what we have tried.”

Ateez, which began its journey in 2019, has achieved many milestones in the past seven years. Its 11th and most recent EP, “Golden Hour: Part 2,” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard 200 albums chart last November.

“Golden Hour: Part. 3” is the band's first new release since then and its third installment in its “Golden Hour” series, which its agency, KQ Entertainment, describes as capturing the moments when the band shines the brightest. The new EP includes five songs: “Lemon Drop” and B-sides “Masterpiece,” “Now this house ain't a home,” “Castle,” and “Bridge: The Edge of Reality.” Members Hongjoong and Mingi contributed to the lyrics of the lead track and three B-sides.

“Lemon Drop” is a refreshing R&B hip-hop track, a summer tune that will “color the hot summer days with Ateez style,” Hongjoong said. For some, the trendy, easy-to-vibe-to song may come as somewhat of a departure from intense sounds for which Ateez is best known.

“Some might think we’ve changed our musical direction, but at its core, our music always represents the message we want to deliver for each album,” Hongjoong said, describing the shift as more of a diversification than a discontinuation of the band's style.

Interpretations differed, of course. “The new album is about a journey of finding one’s way through chaos, spurred from a thirst for something,” said member Mingi. Yunho described the feeling of thirst as a desire to “offer something new to Atiny,” referring to the band's fans.

Ateez recently wrapped up its “Towards the Light: Will to Power” world tour with two final shows in Seoul on March 22 and 23. The tour, which began in Seoul on Jan. 27, 2024, has taken the band across Japan, North America and Europe.

Ateez is now set to begin its “In Your Fantasy” world tour with two concerts at Inspire Arena in Incheon on July 5 and 6, which will run through October across 16 cities in Korea, the United States, Mexico and Japan.

Ateez is “pouring everything” into preparing for the tour, said San.

“As we are a team that loves to take on new challenges, we are trying many new things with our upcoming concert,” he said. “There are many fresh elements in the production, and also with the set list.”

The members aim to enjoy the journey through it all, rather than focusing solely on the numbers.

“We are grateful for our previous album’s success, which was all thanks to our Atiny,” said Yeosang. “But rather than feeling pressure to perform well on the Billboard chart, I really hope we can create new fond memories with Atiny and continue to walk our path in our own way.”

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]